Francis was a student at Edna Karr High School, said Adrian Morgan, interim chief executive officer of the Algiers Charter Schools Association. Social workers and grief counselors will be available to students and staff, Morgan said.

Francis had two younger brothers and lived with his mother in a reddish-brown brick house with a bright red door and an upstairs balcony.

A residential organization newsletter showed a small amount of nonviolent crime has occurred in the neighborhood in the past year. "This is unusual," neighbor Brian Benefield said of the killing.

A neighbor administered CPR to Francis at the scene, but it seemed clear the 18-year-old would not survive, Benefield said.

Another neighbor, Albert Kelly, said Francis enjoyed playing football with his younger brothers in the front yard. "I would have never thought anything like this would have happened to him," Kelly said.

Kelly's wife, Nedra, said Francis was a gentle person who kept to himself and his friends. "He didn't cause any problems in the neighborhood or anything," she said.

Police said they had no motive or suspects in the killing. Anyone with information is asked to call detective Christopher Harris at 504.658.5300 or Crimestoppers at 504.822.1111.